Apparatus for bleaching grain.



PATENTED JUNE 16, 1908. TWEEDALE.

w. L. HARVEY & W APPARATUS FOR BLEAGHING GRAIN APPL IOATION FILED SEPT. 24, 1902.

WILLIAM L. HARVEY AND WILLIAM 'IWVICPIDALE. 0| (JlllllAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR BLEACHING GRAIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1908.

Application filed September 24, 1902. Serial No. 124.618.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that we, WILLIAM L. IIARVEY and WILLIAM TWEEDALE, citizens ofv the United States, and residents of (-hicago, (.ook county, lllinois, have jointly invented certain new and useful lnmrovements in A mratus for Bleaching .irain, of which t 1e following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention has relation to ap )aratus designed for the bleaching of grain t lat has become discolored and thereby render the same more marketable and the, object of the invention is to provide a novel construction of apparatus whereby the more effective bleaching of the grain shallbe accomplished. The invention consists in the features 'of improvement hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and particularly defined in the claims at the end of the specification.

Figure 1 is a view in vertical section (parts being shown in elevation) through a grain bleaching apparatus embodying our invention. tion on line 22 of Fig. l. 1

Thestack A is preferably formed of wood or like material best adapted to resist the action of the sulfur or other bleaching fumes. The op osite side walls of the stack are provided, rorn top to bottom. with a series of inlet and outlet ports a for passage of the bleaching transversely througl'i'all parts of the stack and the grain contained therein. Each of the ports a is protected by an inclined guardlate E which extends upwardly and outward y from the lower edge of the gxuit'eyarrow, as indicated in the drawings.-

tthe up erend is provided a hopper A extending the entire width of the stack into which the grain to be bleached is delivered. At the bottom of the hopper is located a Valve B of suitable construction. this valve Bis a slide-valve of the grid-iron type, i. e. it is provided with a series of opentherewith in height and widt 1.

Fig. 2--is a View in horizontal sec- By this arrangement ample port area As shown,

ing's l) adapted to register to a greater or less extent with a series of o )enings (1' of the transverse diaphragm a w iereon the valve B rests. 'lhis valveeserves to control the admission of grain from the hopper into the grain stack A and at the bottom of the stack is preferably )laced a similar valve (1 that controls the discharge of blem'hmlgrain from the apparatus.

. The casing l which is preferably of wood or other suitable material, forms the fume supply and exhaust chambers upon opposite sides of the stack and preferabl coextensive A pipe 1 connects the supply chambery'with a furnace (1, wherein the sulfur fumes are generated.

The exhaust chamberf, on the opposite side of the stack is connected to an ex iaust pipe ll, preferably by means of'a series of branch pipes l1, h, 11. extending from top to bottom of the stack. 'A suitable suction-fan eon tained within a fan-casing K, effects the 'movement of the bleaching fumes through the stack and the withdrawal of thesame from the exhaust chamberf. The sup )ly and exhaust pipes g and II are prefera )ly provided with control-valves g and 7t4 respectively.

The moisture uwessary for the effective bleaehingof the grain is sup died at the topof the grain stack A, and preferably by means ofa coil of pipe I) located in the lower portion of thehopper A which is provided with perforations and into which steam is admitted from a suitable source of supply.

. In operation,'the valves B and (l are preferably so adjusted that. the grain quite compaetly fills the stack but will be slowly fed by gravity through the same in'order to retain the grain in the stack a sufficient time for thorough treatment. The grain may of course, be retained within the stack any desired length of time by completely closing the valve 0, but as before. stated, this valve is preferably so adjusted that there will be a slow movement through the stack, and so that the latter may be compaclly filled with rain. This modeof operation is permissile since, when the suction-fan is stated. the sulfur or other bleaching fumes are drawn from the generator (l successively through the fume. supply chamber f, the grain stack A and the exhaust chamber f.

.and the fumes traverse all portions of the stack and grain containedtherein by reason of the arrangement of the series of supply bottom of a stack through which the grain falls freely and the fumes escape at the top/ With such arrangement, the stack must be quite=hi h in order that the grain be treated for a sufficient length'of time. It is not feasible with such an arrangement, to fill the stack completely full of grain and permit only a slow,"restricted flow of grain since the treatment by the fumes supplied at the bottom only could not well penetrate the solid mass of grain. -With the present improvements however, the narrow constructions of the vertical grain stack A interposed between the supply and exhaust chambers f and f and connected therewith by a series of inlet and outlet ports 0 extending through all portions of the stacks, permits the effective distribution of the bleaching fumes to all 'portions of the grain, and the ready traverse of the fumes transversely through the narrow grain stack. The stack mav therefore, be compactlyfilled with grain, the flow of grain may be slow and restricted by the valve C, am the grain effectively treated without necessitating'a stack of great height. The ports a. in the sides of thestack afford 'ample area for the distribution of bleaching fumes to all portions of the mass of grain within the staclqand at the same time the guard'plates E prevent the escape of grain, even though the stack may be completely filled. Moreover, by arrangin the guard plate E on the outside of the stac there is no danger of the rain banking in the stack. In order to ileach grain with sulfurous fumes the grain must be dampened and would easily bank in the stack ifits interior was not unobstructed. The arrangement of suction-fan and exhaust pipe connected to the exhaust chamber bya series of branch ipes extending from the top to the bottom til bleaching fumes-through all portions of the gralisin stacki h y su ying t e moisture necessar to the effici t bleaching of the ain at the top of the stack,all parts of t e grain are thoroughly moistened for treatment by the bleaching fumes. Moreover, with this arrangement the grain is quite thoroughly dried by the time it reaches the bottom of the stack and little or no subse uent treatment is necessar to condition t e the market. T e arrangements 0 supply and exhaust ports extending throughout the stack which permits-restricted slow flow of the grain, materially assistin thus drying the grain. The grain b the present-improvement, is thus thorough y supplied with the necessary moisture at thetop of the stack, is at .once broughtin contact with the bleaching fumes ereof, effectively draws the rain for thereofpa casing F 'is efi'ectivel bleached and also dried as it ing a narrow, vertical grain stack having a series of inlet and a series of exhaust ports in opposite sides thereof arranged to permit the transverse passageof bleaching fumes through all portions of the stack, in combination with fume supply and exhaust chambers arranged respectively over said inlet and exhaust ports and on opposite sides of the stack, a delivery pipe for admitting bleaching fumes to said sup ly chamber, an exhaust pipe having a plura ity of branches connected at different points to'said exhaust chamber and-a suction-fan connected to said exhaust pipe.

2. A grain bleaching apparatus comprising a narrow, vertical grain stack the mterior of said stack being unobstructed and its op "osite side walls, having a series of inlet an outlet ports arranged to permit the passage of bleaching fumes transversely through all portions of the stack, inclined guardlates extending upwardly and outwardly rom the lower edges of said ports, fume supply and exhaust chambers arranged respectively on o posite sides of said stack and over said i et and exhaust ports, means for delivering bleachingfumes to said supply chamber, an exhaust pi e for withdrawin the fumes from said ex aust chamber and valve mechanism at the bottom of the stack for restricting the flow of grain throu hout, 1

therein, valve mechanism for controlli the flow of grain through said stack, a e

chamber arranged tpposite the openin s of said stack, a pipe or delivering bleac fumes to said fume chamber at one side .of

said stack and an exhaust pipeand suction fan for drawinggthe bleaching fumes through said grain stac and fume chamber.

4. An apparatus for bleaching grain comprising a vertically disposed .grain stack A aving openings a in the opposite sides having fume admission and exhaust chambers f and f at o posite sides of said stack, a pi e g for de ive bleaching fumes to the a, mission chambei' fi an exhaust pipe H prot lded with a plurality of branches h, it etc., for withdrawing the fumes from the exhaust chamber f, a suc- I which traverse the stack at all points, and tion fan connected to said exhaust pipe, 13

valveimechanisn'i'at the to and bottom of said grain stack for control ing the flow of grain theretln'ough, a hopper at the top of said grain stack and a steam pipe for admitting steam to said hopper.

5. A grain bleaching apparatus comprisinga narrow vertically disposed grain stack having a series of inlet and exhaust ports in the opposite sides thereof rcspecti vely and arranged at (.lilferent oints from the top and the bottom of the stacli to permit the transverse passage of bleaching fumes through all portions of the stack, in combination with means for supplying bleaching fumes to said inlet ports, means at the top of the stack for moistening the contained grain and valve. mechanism at the bottom of the stack for restrictingandeontrolling the {low of grain through the same whereby said stack may be maintainei'l substantially full of grain.

(j. A grainbleaching apparatus comprising a narrow, vertical grain, stack having an unobstructed interior arid having inlet and exhaust ports in the opposite sides thereof arranged at different oints from top to bottom of the stack an arranged to permit the transverse passage of bleaching fumesthrough all parts of the same, in combination with fume supply and exhaust chambers arranged respectively on opposite sides of said stack and over said inlet and exhaust ports, means for delivering bleaching fumes to said supply chamber, means at the top of said stack for supplying moisture to the contained grain and valve mechanism at the bottom of said stack for restricting the flow of grain therethrough.

7. A grain bleaching apparatus comprising a narrow, vertical grain stackhaving an unobstructed interior and a series of inlet and exhaust ports in the opposite sides thereof at different points from top to bottom of the stack arranged. to permit the transverse passage of bleaching fumes through all portions of the stack, inclined guard-plates extending upwardly and outwardly from the lower edges of said inlet and exhaust ports. fume supply and exhaust chambers arranged respectively on opposite sides 'of said stack and extending from said inlet and exhaust ports, means for supplying bleaching fumes to said supply chamber and valve mechan- V ism at the bottom of the stack for controlling inlet ports, means in the top of the stack for moistenmg the contained grain, and valve mechanism at the bottom of the stack for restricting and controlling the flow of grain through the same, wherebysaid staek ii'iay be maintained full of grain, substantially as described.

WILLIAM L. HARVEY. WILLIAM TWICE DA] J Witnesses:

ALBERTA AnAMiex, .lJILLlAN lnrm'rioe. 

